We are once again partnering with Film Pittsburgh to bring you the 2020 Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival and Short Script Competition.
The 2019 festival featured 116 films from 34 countries with a lineup that included nine films that went on to be shortlisted, six that became nominees, and one that won an Oscar®.
2019 also brought the first year for the short script competition and seated reading event which was met with great enthusiasm from our audience.
We would love to consider your short film or short script for our 2020 festival!
The hope is to present our fall festival in theaters with in-person Q&As and networking opportunities and we continue to plan for that. However, we are mindful that social distancing restrictions may keep us from doing so. Please know that we are considering our options, which include either an in-person festival that includes some virtual streaming options or a completely virtual festival to be held online. Either way, rest assured the show will go on!
To submit your short film or short script for consideration and to see more information about our festival, including some additional reviews, please visit our FilmFreeway page at:
https://filmfreeway.com/PittsburghShorts
CSW Meetings Suspended
During this time of pandemic and social distancing the Carnegie Screenwriters have suspended our monthly meetings. We will resume when life returns to normal and restrictions are eased. Until then please stay in, stay safe and keep writing.
Screenwriting Book Signing and Release Party
April 29, 2019 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. CCAC South Campus in West Mifflin, PA
Join us for an evening of networking and learning at CCAC with author and script consultant, Jim Mercurio. Jim will be leading a lecture on screenwriting called “Breaking the Rules with Style.” His new book “The Craft of Scene Writing” will be available for purchase and there will be a raffle for his 10-hr screenwriting DVD set with all proceeds going to Carnegie Screenwriters. Light snacks and beverages will be provided.
Event is free but registration on Eventbrite is required.
Please see our Events page for details.
CSW Script & Screen Festival
Carnegie Screenwriters 2nd Annual Script & Screen Festival
August 25-26
Tull Family Theater
418 Walnut Street
Sewickley, PA 15143
CSW Script & Screen Festival Filmmaker Reception
August 25 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
$22.00
CSW Script & Screen Festival Filmmaker Reception
Join us on Saturday, August 25th for our second annual Carnegie Screenwriters Script & Screen Festival filmmaker reception and seated readings.
We will have seated readings of our selected scripts read by local actors. Scripts to be presented are:
Cardboard Box by Bernhard Riedhammer (U.K.)
Be Not Far From Me by Thomas Zak (U.S.)
&
Friend by Ali Abdolvahabi (Iran)
Readers include Marianne Bayard, Christopher Collier, Patrick Conner, Cindy Dallas, Lonnie Jantsch, Bob Scott & Tyson Sears.
Cocktail hour will begin at 6:00 PM with savory treats from Philomena’s Catering. Come out and meet the screenwriters and filmmakers whose works will be highlighted during our annual event. Seating is limited and ticket sales will end 48 hours before the event or when sold out, whichever comes first.
Tickets are available at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3584022
Portions of the evening will be filmed for an upcoming episode of our TV show Fade In
Hope to see you there!
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CSW Script & Screen Festival Film Screenings
August 26 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
$15.00
CSW Script & Screen Festival Film Screenings
Join us for our second annual Carnegie Screenwriters Script and Screen Festival. This International festival will feature short films from the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas in addition to selections from across the globe. This screening event will take place at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley, PA on Sunday August 26, 2018.
Attendees will have access to the full day of short film screenings of our selected films. Tickets will not be sold for individual films or blocks of films. Films will run from 11:00 AM until approximately 4:00 PM at which time filmmakers in attendance will receive their Official Selection certificates. Doors will open at 10:00 AM. Please arrive early as films will start promptly at 11:00 AM.
Tickets are available at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3584016
Come out and meet local filmmakers and support independent filmmaking around the world.
Thanks to Final Draft for sponsoring the CSW Script & Screen Festival and donating a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software for our 3rd on 3rd Fundraiser on Sunday, July 15.
Many thanks to Final Draft for sponsoring the Carnegie Screenwriters Script and Screen Festival and donating a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software for our 3rd on 3rd Fundraiser on Sunday, July 15.
On Sunday, July 15 we will host our seated reading and lucky draw raffle to raise funds for this year’s Carnegie Screenwriters Script and Screen Festival. Folks attending will be treated to a reading of one of last year’s winning scripts, “Dig”, by local writer Robert Brian Taylor as well as have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes in our lucky draw raffle event.
All proceeds will go towards our festival which will be held at the Tull Family theater in Sewickley on August 25th and 26th.
CSW Seated Reading and Fundraiser
July 15
6:00-9:00 pm
3rd Street Gallery
220 3rd St., Carnegie 15106
Indiegogo campaign for CSW film
We’ve launched this Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to produce a short script “Room with a View” written and directed by Bob Scott. It’s a psychological thriller inspired by “The Twilight Zone,” “Night Gallery” and other series providing chills and thrills. This is a Carnegie Screenwriters production. Please contribute if you can and what you can. Any little bit helps. Please help spread the word. Thank you!
2nd Annual CSW Script & Screen Festival
Carnegie Screenwriters will host our second annual short film and short screenplay festival August 25-26, 2018 at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley, Pa.
We are now open to submissions from members and non-members alike. We are looking for the best of the best to be shown and read at our 2 day event. We are open to all genres of films and screenplays that fall within our running time and page count guidelines. Screenplays can also be submitted to receive feedback from our readers. Scripts submitted into this category are automatically entered into the short screenplay contest, please do not submit the same script to both categories.
The Greater Pittsburgh region offers a very supportive and collaborative film environment. We’d love to see and share your works with our community.
For information and guidelines please go to: https://filmfreeway.com/CarnegieScreenwritersScriptandScreenFestival
Carnegie Screenwriters is a Pittsburgh based non-profit group comprised of writers, filmmakers, actors, teachers and students.
Our local CSW members meet in the Pittsburgh area, our national and international members connect through social media. Our mission is to provide an active, supportive community for scriptwriters of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience. We work together in an environment of mutual respect and fellowship to share resources, provide encouragement, motivation and constructive feedback on members’ scripts, concepts and works-in-progress. We network and partner with filmmakers and film organizations to produce quality scripts, films, videos and television.
The Tull Family Theater is a film-based arts organization created to strengthen cultural, educational and entertainment experiences in the region northwest of Pittsburgh.
Awards & Prizes
Winning screenplays will be performed at a seated reading during the opening reception event held on Saturday, August 25th. Winning writers will receive free admission to the opening reception event. All film winners receive live screening of their film on Sunday August 26th. Winning films will receive one free admission to the screening event.
SCENE WRITING CLASS & FUNDRAISER FOR LAURIE AND DENNIS
CSW is holding a scene writing class led by screenwriter, filmmaker and story analyst Jim Mercurio. The event is a fundraiser for Laurie Smith and Dennis Greene who lost everything in a Christmas Day fire. All proceeds go to them.
SCENE WRITING CLASS & FUNDRAISER FOR LAURIE AND DENNIS
Carnegie Screenwriters presents Advanced Scene Writing with Jim Mercurio. This event is a benefit for local filmmakers Laurie Smith Greene and Dennis Greene whose home in McKees Rocks was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Day. They lost everything in the fire and need our help. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Laurie and Dennis to help them rebuild their lives.
Laurie is a filmmaker who has worked on Carnegie Screenwriters projects with us including “Test 89” for the 48 Hour Film Project (she won Best Cinematography) and “Silent Tales” the documentary about the Richland Cemetery in Dravosburg. Jim Mercurio is an award-winning filmmaker and story analyst whose book The Craft of Scene Writing will be released later this year.
Advanced Scene Writing – Four-hour Class with Lecture, Clips and Discussion
DATE: Saturday, January 27
TIME: 11 AM – 4 PM (Lunch Provided)
LOCATION: The Wilkins School Community Center
7604 Charleston Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
PRICE: $25
There are a limited number of seats and we want to make accurate plans for lunch, so please sign up online. Walk-ins welcome, but pre-registration is preferred.
ABOUT THE CLASS
Don’t think of scene writing as a specialty or niche craft applicable for only storytellers of short-form narratives such as commercials, skits, sketches and shorts. It is for everyone who uses the principles of narrative in their work — editors, composers, songwriters, actors, directors, producers, novelists, and of course screenwriters — ALL STORYTELLERS.
Scene writing is storytelling in its purest form.
How can you masterfully “turn” a 100-page script if you can’t master the climactic “turn” of a 3-page story?
The nitty-gritty craft principles of scene writing helps writers succeed both creatively and professionally. This class focuses on craft, and craft usually takes care of much of the business side. Jack Nicholson says he won’t do a movie unless it has at least five amazing moments. The scenes in your script have to be as good as its structure. Structure alone does not lead to a great screenplay.
Regardless of the specific state of the industry, the spec market always favors a script that is ready to go and writers who can deliver a near-flawless, ready-to-shoot draft. It’s not enough to have only a cool concept. A polished script with bulletproof execution can skip the development process and allows producers or agents to submit it immediately to actors or directors — the linchpins of the packaging process — whose involvement can lead to a sale and production
Create more emotional scenes and hone your unique voice while giving your script the best chance to succeed in the competitive spec market.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Working definition of a scene and its elements
- The source and essence of surprise and organics reversals
- The importance of climax and how to accentuate it
- How to “break the rules” like Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino and David Mamet do
- New principles like “smashability,” extended beats and writing to concept
- Rewriting strategies for your scenes
If you cannot afford the fee, contact Jim (jim (at) jamespmercurio.com), and we will make it work.
Updates will be posted on the Carnegie Screenwriters Facebook Page and via email.
Call for entries for 2nd annual CSW Script & Screen Festival
Carnegie Screenwriters will host our second annual short film and short screenplay festival in August of 2018 at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley, Pa.
We are now open to submissions from members and non-members alike. We are looking for the best of the best to be shown and read at our 2 day event. We are open to all genres of films and screenplays that fall within our running time and page count guidelines. Screenplays can also be submitted to receive feedback from our readers. Scripts submitted into this category are automatically entered into the short screenplay contest, please do not submit the same script to both categories.
Winning screenplays will be performed at a seated reading during the opening reception event held on Saturday, August 25th. Winning writers will receive free admission to the opening reception event. All film winners receive live screening of their film on Sunday August 26th. Winning films will receive one free admission to the screening event.
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Super Earlybird Deadline
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Earlybird Deadline
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Regular Deadline
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Late Deadline
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Extended Deadline
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Last Chance Deadline
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Notification Date
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Event Date
Details at: https://filmfreeway.com/CarnegieScreenwritersScriptandScreenFestival
CSW Presents: “Fade In”
The Carnegie Screenwriters present: “Fade In’ on PCTV-21. The show explores screenwriting, film, TV and new media in the Pittsburgh area and beyond. You can view episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC46GiTLZgO_qNUOm0TC7Inw
The show runs Thursday nights on PCTV-21.